


Ghosts

by DawningStar



Category: Dreaming of Sunshine - Silver Queen
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-17
Updated: 2019-05-17
Packaged: 2020-03-06 14:58:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18853390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawningStar/pseuds/DawningStar
Summary: “There’s no such thing as ghosts,” Towa insists, “so he can’t have seen one.”





	Ghosts

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Toyaja](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Toyaja/gifts).



“There’s no such thing as ghosts,” Towa insists, “so he can’t have seen one.” 

Komachi shakes her head. “You can’t actually prove that, Towa.” 

Ever since Bat joined the squad, Towa and Komachi have made a habit of reserving a private meeting room when they get back to Konoha; somewhere safe and free of eavesdroppers to unwind and complain and laugh. 

No one else would understand the sheer craziness of a Bat mission, and all their missions are so classified they can’t talk about any of it. Except to each other, because they have to find a sane person somewhere. 

Sometimes Komachi feels a strange tingle of recognition when she’s unmasked and listening to gossip about the craziest missions...but it’s rude to uncover a fellow ANBU agent’s unmasked identity. Towa and Komachi never place bets on that. 

They do have a long-running wager on whether Hawk-taicho has actually seen a ghost, or whether Bat was so convincing one time that Hawk still believes it happened. 

On the one hand, Bat’s fake ghosts are chillingly realistic even when they know what to expect. On the other, Hawk-taicho has never been surprised by Bat’s efforts, or any more than mildly dubious about her suggestions on practical grounds. They’ve done three ghost missions now and he’s never looked suspicious of her. 

“Maybe he was joking,” Towa tries doubtfully. 

Komachi doesn’t bother to give that attempt more than a tilted skeptical look. It’s not that Hawk-taicho never jokes. No one subjected to Bat on long missions can avoid a joke or two. But they both know what Hawk’s jokes sound like, and they don’t sound like that. 

Towa shakes his head. “No, listen, if Bat made him see ghosts then he’s seen ghosts! He didn’t have to mean real ghosts.” 

Nothing in Hawk-taicho’s posture had suggested to Komachi that he was troubled in the least by any of Bat’s best dramatic efforts, and she couldn’t quite imagine he ever would have been. “Let’s get an outside opinion,” Komachi suggests, tired of the same argument after three separate missions in which Bat made spooky noises and then laughed under her breath while people ran away. “Ask the first person we see in the hall what they think about ghosts.” 

Towa sighs. “Fine. But when they say it’s silly to believe in ghosts, you have to pay for dango.” 

Most of the safe meeting rooms are in ANBU headquarters, so it’s only to be expected that the first person they find is ANBU: Crow-taicho, in his chipped old mask. 

The respected old veteran is a little too intimidating for Komachi to approach with what is more or less a joke question. She would have chosen to ask someone else, but Towa plunges ahead without hesitation. 

“Sir, do you believe ghosts exist?” 

“That’s classified,” Crow-taicho says in a surprisingly pained tone. A surprisingly _familiar_ pained tone. 

Towa and Komachi stare at him, then in unison turn to look at each other. They dart back into the sealed meeting room and lock it before Towa hisses, “Bat got to him too!”


End file.
